Cover plate with interstage seal for a gas turbine engine

Abstract

An air seal assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a first cover plate with a radially extending knife edge seal defined about and axis of rotation. The first cover plate is mountable to a first rotor disk for rotation therewith, the first radially extending knife edge seal interfaces with a vane structure. A second cover plate with a second radially extending knife edge seal defined about the axis of rotation, the second cover plate mountable to the second rotor disk for rotation therewith. The second radially extending knife edge seal interfaces with the vane structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An air seal assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
 a first rotor disk defined about an axis of rotation; 
 a second rotor disk defined about said axis of rotation; 
 a vane structure axially between said first rotor disk and said second rotor disk; 
 a first cover plate including a first radially extending knife edge seal and a second radially extending knife edge seal defined about said axis of rotation, said first cover plate mountable to an aft surface of said first rotor disk for rotation therewith, said first radially extending knife edge seal and said second radially extending knife edge seal interfacing with said vane structure, and wherein said first radially extending knife edge seal defines a first diameter greater than a second diameter of said second radially extending knife edge seal; and 
 a second cover plate with a radially extending knife edge seal defined about said axis of rotation, said second cover plate mountable to a forward surface of said second rotor disk for rotation therewith, said radially extending knife edge seal of the second cover plate interfacing with said vane structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first radially extending knife edge seal extends outward from a first cylindrical extension that extends from said first cover plate. 
     
     
       3. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said second radially extending knife edge seal extends outward from said first cylindrical extension. 
     
     
       4. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said second radially extending knife edge seal is generally parallel to said first radially extending knife edge seal. 
     
     
       5. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said second radially extending knife edge seal defines an axial end of said first cylindrical extension. 
     
     
       6. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said radially extending knife edge seal of the second cover plate extends outward from a second cylindrical extension that extends from said second cover plate. 
     
     
       7. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first cover plate is mounted to an aft face of said first rotor disk. 
     
     
       8. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said second cover plate is mounted to a forward face of said second rotor disk. 
     
     
       9. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first cover plate faces said second cover plate. 
     
     
       10. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first rotor disk is attached to said second rotor disk. 
     
     
       11. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said vane structure is a turbine vane structure. 
     
     
       12. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said vane structure includes a honeycomb seal. 
     
     
       13. The air seal assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said radially extending knife edge seal of said second cover plate extends outward from a second cylindrical extension that extends from said second cover plate. 
     
     
       14. The air seal assembly of  claim 13  wherein said first cylindrical extension and said second cylindrical extension are substantially radially aligned. 
     
     
       15. The air seal assembly of  claim 1  wherein said first radially extending knife edge seal and said second radially extending knife edge seal extend in a direction generally perpendicular to said axis of rotation. 
     
     
       16. A method to assemble an air seal assembly of a gas turbine engine comprising:
 mounting a first cover plate with a first radially extending knife edge seal and a second radially extending knife edge seal defined about an axis of rotation to a first rotor disk for rotation therewith, the first radially extending knife edge seal and the second radially extending knife edge seal interfacing with a vane structure, wherein said first radially extending knife edge seal defines a first diameter greater than a second diameter of said second radially extending knife edge seal; and 
 mounting a second cover plate with a radially extending knife edge seal defined about a axis of rotation to a second rotor disk for rotation therewith, the second radially extending knife edge seal interfacing with the vane structure. 
 
     
     
       17. The method as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 mounting the first rotor disk to the second rotor disk. 
 
     
     
       18. The method as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 axially spacing the first radially extending knife edge seal from the second radially extending knife edge seal. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16  wherein said first radially extending knife edge seal and said second radially extending knife edge seal extend in a direction generally perpendicular to said axis of rotation.